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39 Days of Gazza
As the first-time manager of a provincial non-League football team, former England star Paul Gascoigne promised to fulfil their dreams. Then in the space of just 39 days, both manager and team saw a dramatic reversal of fortune...Gazza was the English football icon on the 1990s. His magnificent midfield play provided some of England's most memorable moments, and he enjoyed a headline-grabbing career with Newcastle United, Tottenham, Lazio, Glasgow Rangers, Middlesbrough and Everton. Then it all went terribly wrong. He still made the headlines, but for all the wrong reasons - alcoholism, drugs, wife-beating, personality disorder, run-ins with the law, nervous breakdown. Like his great hero, George Best, Gascoigne seemed to have passed a personal point of no return. Then, in the autumn of 2005, he was given a chance to rebuild his career with his first job as a football manager. As part of a consortium which bought Kettering town, Gazza reinvented himself. Appearing to have his personal problems under control, he took charge - full of big ideas about steering the club into the Football League and towards the big time. The people of Kettering were star-struck by the celebrity among them. And yet, within just a few short weeks after Gascoigne was appointed manager, he would be sacked amidst an increasingly bizarre series of allegations, leaving a once hopeful club on its knees.
251 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 30, 2019
Paul Gascoigne was an icon of English football in the 1990s with his stylish midfield play and often spectacular goals. There was much laughter, and some tears, and he was adored by press and public alike. However, sadly it all went wrong with some bizarre off-field behaviour and he fell out of favour even though he still continued to grab the headlines … but for all the wrong reasons.
Then, in the autumn of 2005, he was given a chance to rebuild his career with his first job as a football manager at non-league club Kettering Town. A new chairman, Imraan Ladak, with big ideas of getting the club into The Football League, decided that Gazza, with his personal problems seemingly under control, was the man to help fulfil his dream. So, amid great euphoria, particularly from the club's ardent supporters, an announcement was made to that effect. Thus Gazza arrived at Kettering, albeit some hours late (was this a sign of things to come?), to face the press and explain his position. There were great expectations all round, especially as the country's press began to turn up in goodly numbers once the announcement was made.
The supporters were thrilled as they had a celebrity manager, who brought with him his assistant, Paul Davies, a veteran of over 300 games with Arsenal. Everyone suddenly wanted to be a part of the club but there was a cloud lurking for Kevin Wilson, the popular long-serving manager, was pushed out and made Director of Football. But that was never going to work and he soon resigned and left the club. In addition the new chairman, with at that time very little knowledge of football, wanted to muzzle in on team affairs and have a say about all sorts of other things that perhaps should have been left to Gazza. So potential cracks in the longer term plan began to show at a relatively early stage.
Saturday 29 October 2005 saw the first game under the new regime, a Conference North clash with Droylsden, and a healthy 2,060 euphoric fans turned up to see a 1-0 victory with veteran striker, Christian Moore, who was later to become one of the casualties of Gazza's reign, scoring the winning goal. It got even better for the second game under Gazza when 4,548 were present for a first round FA Cup tie against Stevenage Borough. Unfortunately the game did not go to plan and the result was a 3-1 home defeat.
From then on things deteriorated both on and off the field. New players, not particularly Gazza's choice were brought in by the chairman, there was talk of Kettering Town becoming a full-time organisation - a few players were indeed given full-time contracts while the rest remained part-timers - and unrest in the dressing room began to emerge. Gazza's variable conduct, both at the football club and elsewhere, plus his supposed drinking habits did not help matters at all and a fall off the team bus allegedly due to drink did nothing to instil confidence in the chairman.
On the field results went wrong, there were only three victories in the eight games in which Gazza was in charge with the players stating that he and Davis did not understand the non-league game, one player saying, 'I think they thought it was Championship Manager on the computer' and all the players questioning the Brazil-style tactics that Gazza and Davis were bringing in. 'We are non-league players, not experienced top quality international players who can pass the ball about amongst themselves,' was the consensus of opinion, team selection was erratic, substitutions were questioned and it became obvious that the situation could not continue. Ultimately it all led to Gazza being sacked amid great deal of acrimony.
This is a tragicomedy of English football and '39 Days with Gazza' is not just a football book - indeed football per se is often not the focal point of the book - it is more a case of personal tragedy as the reader at times laughs with Gazza but ends up almost crying at the very sad ending. Gazza undoubtedly raised the club's and the town's profile in his short stay and as the author states, '[He] is such a likeable and lovable bloke that it breaks your heart when it all goes wrong.' That is certainly so true.
Then, in the autumn of 2005, he was given a chance to rebuild his career with his first job as a football manager at non-league club Kettering Town. A new chairman, Imraan Ladak, with big ideas of getting the club into The Football League, decided that Gazza, with his personal problems seemingly under control, was the man to help fulfil his dream. So, amid great euphoria, particularly from the club's ardent supporters, an announcement was made to that effect. Thus Gazza arrived at Kettering, albeit some hours late (was this a sign of things to come?), to face the press and explain his position. There were great expectations all round, especially as the country's press began to turn up in goodly numbers once the announcement was made.
The supporters were thrilled as they had a celebrity manager, who brought with him his assistant, Paul Davies, a veteran of over 300 games with Arsenal. Everyone suddenly wanted to be a part of the club but there was a cloud lurking for Kevin Wilson, the popular long-serving manager, was pushed out and made Director of Football. But that was never going to work and he soon resigned and left the club. In addition the new chairman, with at that time very little knowledge of football, wanted to muzzle in on team affairs and have a say about all sorts of other things that perhaps should have been left to Gazza. So potential cracks in the longer term plan began to show at a relatively early stage.
Saturday 29 October 2005 saw the first game under the new regime, a Conference North clash with Droylsden, and a healthy 2,060 euphoric fans turned up to see a 1-0 victory with veteran striker, Christian Moore, who was later to become one of the casualties of Gazza's reign, scoring the winning goal. It got even better for the second game under Gazza when 4,548 were present for a first round FA Cup tie against Stevenage Borough. Unfortunately the game did not go to plan and the result was a 3-1 home defeat.
From then on things deteriorated both on and off the field. New players, not particularly Gazza's choice were brought in by the chairman, there was talk of Kettering Town becoming a full-time organisation - a few players were indeed given full-time contracts while the rest remained part-timers - and unrest in the dressing room began to emerge. Gazza's variable conduct, both at the football club and elsewhere, plus his supposed drinking habits did not help matters at all and a fall off the team bus allegedly due to drink did nothing to instil confidence in the chairman.
On the field results went wrong, there were only three victories in the eight games in which Gazza was in charge with the players stating that he and Davis did not understand the non-league game, one player saying, 'I think they thought it was Championship Manager on the computer' and all the players questioning the Brazil-style tactics that Gazza and Davis were bringing in. 'We are non-league players, not experienced top quality international players who can pass the ball about amongst themselves,' was the consensus of opinion, team selection was erratic, substitutions were questioned and it became obvious that the situation could not continue. Ultimately it all led to Gazza being sacked amid great deal of acrimony.
This is a tragicomedy of English football and '39 Days with Gazza' is not just a football book - indeed football per se is often not the focal point of the book - it is more a case of personal tragedy as the reader at times laughs with Gazza but ends up almost crying at the very sad ending. Gazza undoubtedly raised the club's and the town's profile in his short stay and as the author states, '[He] is such a likeable and lovable bloke that it breaks your heart when it all goes wrong.' That is certainly so true.
August 14, 2011
This is the only football book I've ever read and it is fascinating. Crisp journalistic style keeps it moving. You don't need to know anything about the game to enjoy it, though it helps if you've heard of Paul Gascoigne of course. It can be read as a business disaster story, an account of the effect of addiction on people or as a source on how a media circus operates.
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December 22, 2009An essential read for any KTFC fan and the circus
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews